The Ultemecia Effect
by Lupa-for-Life
Summary: After the fall of Ultemecia, the whole world is trying to pull itself out of the ashes and be reborn. People are ready for peace, and prosperity instead of adversity. Now Rinoa, the sorceress, must find her place and hold on to her light in the face of the power that threatens to destroy her from the inside.
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER:**_I own nothing you recognize.

Chapter One:

Rinoa stood panting in the training center. Taking a moment from her morning workout to wipe the sweat from her brow.

When she woke up this morning, in Squall's bed it had brought a smile to her face and a slight blush to her cheeks until she reached for him and found his space on the bed cold and empty. It was a Monday, of course he was already gone. He had work to do. Especially if he was to make sure to be free for their anniversary getaway this weekend. The room may have been dark with shadows but she suddenly felt too wound up to even think straight. She so badly wanted this weekend with him. Squall was always so busy. Sometimes she wondered if being Commander was really what _he wanted _but any attempt by her to bring up such an issue was met with his steely glare and/or a blasé 'Whatever'. The thought wound her spine a little tighter. She pulled on her sneakers to finish her jogging gear and began a few easy stretches to loosen up her muscles. She knew just what to do to blow off this excess steam, it was nothing a good run through the tunnels couldn't cure. It was one thing her and Squall had in common now; a love of the training center.

It was also one of the first things that Squall as Commander had renovated once the revenue from Ultemecia's defeat came rolling in. The entire Training Center had been remodeled and expanded to include a sort of gauntlet with the deeper areas catering to the more skilled of the Garden's cadets. It was pretty nifty actually, Rinoa had to admit. A marvel of science, magic, and creative engineering. She wasn't one hundred percent sure about the details but she knew it took full advantage of the buildings ancient Centra origins.

She never used to love battle. She remembered trying to explain to the others that feeling she used to get of being left behind… that was before she had become a sorceress…

Another crunching noise behind her brought her back to the task at hand. She was in the "fire cave" section and so it was ice she had flowing through her veins. She had a spell ready, she could feel it flowing out and down her arm as she spun slowly on her heel to face whatever poor monster had mistakenly thought he was about to have lunch.

She took only a second to hold it- no more that a breath to savor the feel of power and observe the monster's small impish body before releasing the blast of ice. It enveloped the creature completely from the tips of the wildly spinning wings to the creepy little face at the center before shattering in a shower of icy shards and a blast of cool air. It would have been a great relief from the heat, but since she was channeling the ice already, she was cold on the inside. She tried not to let the power cloud her thoughts. The monster wasn't alone, so she continued forward in a smooth dance-like motion, her hands seemed to draw two crystalline ice shards and sent them flying forward to spear the two other monsters. Their burning jack-o-lantern-esque faces fell to the ground like misshapen tiki-torches, forever extinguished.

She breathed as she continued the motion just as her instructor had taught her, bringing her hands in and drawing her body up to an elegant end pose. Fist meeting open palm, slight bow from the neck, exhale. She ended her little Zen moment by tucking her hair behind her hair behind her ears and groaning. That near overwhelming feeling of being a wind up toy some overzealous person had wound far too tight still lingered in her muscles. She mentally shook herself and jogged onward. Pounding out her extra magic induced energy in running the gauntlet.

The fire was raging all around her. In the pools of lava slowly oozing about its pathway and that overall feeling of being inside a volcano. Sure she knew it was mostly some creative illusionary whatnot and most of her surroundings were man made. Even so, the lava was most certainly still hot and the monsters still meant business. Steam rolled off her lithe body in waves as she _flowed _through what even some of the higher ranking SeeDs considered a tough course. She almost seemed to have her eyes closed as she spun and twirled, her ice flowing effortlessly out from her core to swirl about her arms and down and out from her fingers with deadly intent and a beautiful wash of silver and blue colors. If anyone could have seen her like this they would be entranced at the beauty but,. would also have trouble reconciling this deadly creature in front of them with the image of the care-free teenage girl they had found on that train in Timber three years ago.

Perhaps that was the reason why she hardly allowed anyone to accompany her on her early morning stress-relief-work-out. She never wanted to see fear in someone's eyes when they looked at her. She got enough of that already just because of what she was. They didn't need to see what she could actually _do_. It was enough that she had helped save the world from the clutches of an evil sorceress from the future. And, of course, no one could claim she needed to be sealed because she had the whole of SeeD keeping tabs on her.

Rinoa paused for a moment, again, breathing deeply and trying to settle her fraying nerves. She had come to the end of the 'course'. She could see the odd little exit sign hanging above the completely obvious plain metal door built straight into the wall of the 'volcano'. She also knew that a Ruby Dragon had taken to residing in this area. Those Bombs and that Buel were nothing compared to this guy. SeeDs in training were a glutton for punishment.

Rinoa snorted to herself as she eyed the door and the cavern area surrounding it with a cautious eye.

She didn't immediately see him lurking about, and the pale circle of light illuminating the door and a pitifully small space of floor in front of it was terribly inviting. Downright disconcerting… She scrunched her brow and weighed her chances. He was a tough old buster. Whoever was responsible for that sort of thing had filled these tunnels with plenty of baddies from the lunar cry. There were always plenty of monsters to go around for _years _after one of those. SeeDs in training are gluttons for punishment, after all.

_Meh, I'll make it. No problem. _Rinoa closed her eyes and reached inside herself to draw the spell for time she had in mind. She used some of the imagery Quistis had taught her and thought of a clock spinning forward. Even Edea said, "Whether you are using Para-magic or your Hyne given abilities, imagery is a very useful tool".

Rinoa leaned forward and took a deep breath before diving forward racing for the door.

She hadn't even made it halfway before she saw a slow motion mass of red scales slink into the pale circle of light that was currently her destination. She meant to reach for a stop spell but knew with the dragon's thick hide it was a long shot. Instead, and even while she was thinking that to herself, her body had already put her into the motions. The ice in her veins ran colder, suddenly, and she spun with her momentum and brought the ice out with her exhale and a blizzard of cold stopped the hot blooded dragon in his tracks just as effectively.

He twinkled angrily at her, encased completely in ice.

She stopped with her hand on the door and smiled. _He makes a very lovely ice sculpture. I'd probably think of a name for him but with the heat in here I'm sure he will be all melted and back to normal in no time. _She chuckled to herself and decided she would, in fact, come up with a name for the rough old dragon anyway. She didn't see him every time… and eventually someone was bound to take him down. Better not to get attached…. But it _would _be rather amusing.

As if in reward for what, for most SeeDs, would surely be a grueling test of skill, the random ass industrial steel door stood there expectantly. She turned away from the dragon, opened the door and stepped inside.

The blast of cool air-conditioning that greeted her in the little rest area would have been a vast improvement to the lava cave she had just come from but again she was channeling the cold already so she just shivered in her morning jogging clothes. It may be a little disconcerting to walk in here from out there but it reminded you that you weren't lost and alone in some dark fire filled dungeon, but in a level of the training center at Garden.

The door to the cavern closed behind her with a quiet _click! _And the door beeped at her to signal that it had locked. From this side, one needed to be a certain rank (or have her connections) to be allowed entrance to train within. For the safety of the younger cadets trying to impress their friends on a dare, or something like that. Stranger things had happened.

The little rest area consisted of a small couch, a water fountain, and bathrooms, even little ferns in the corners… as well as one of Selphie's inventions: a vending machine that sold health recovery items as well as drinks and snacks to perk up any weary SeeD running a lap through the tough levels.

Rinoa made a beeline for the elevator that would take her back up. Passing right by the helpful little machine, she didn't need any potions. Her magic would last as long as she would. Some days she would run all the way down the gauntlet only to turn around and run right back up. But that was only on the really hard days. Luckily, this wasn't one of those days, and she was ready to head back up top and face the day. She stepped inside the elevator and turned to press the buttons on the ultra sleek control panel. She immediately noticed that her finger left a ring of frost on the button.

She shivered again.

A glance down to her shoes revealed the ring of frost creeping out from where she stood. She needed to rein it in. Time to let go of the cold.

But the warmth always brought the feelings. No one outside of their little circle really accepted her. The ones that seemed okay with her were always careful to pretend that she wasn't a sorceress. Once she had gotten over her initial shock at what she had become, and began her days working with Edea she had learned that a good way to keep you powers under your own control was to use them frequently, like opening a door before she touched it or chilling a soda that had gotten hot just by picking up the can or bottle That way it wouldn't build up and lash out in a fit of emotion. Unfortunately, such blatant use of her powers tended to make people even more nervous.

Rinoa _was _rather prone to emotional outbursts. She was a woman ruled by her heart. Just look at her work in the Forest Owls. Freeing Timber had been her passion. She had come a long way since her days of plunking down on the floor with her fellow Owls to formulate high tech plans. But Timber was free now. The world was saved. No one wanted a sorceress around anymore. In fact, there was usually outright animosity and fear.

She clenched a fist and tried to focus on something other than her reflection in the glossy doors of the elevator and the place her thoughts were taking her…

_Let's just say I'm glad Laguna is President of Esthar. _She thought to herself.

Edea had warned her in their lessons to find a soothing place she could go to in her mind. A place to ground herself in what kept her sane when the power left her feeling a little on the dark side…

She always pictured _their_ place. The flower field at the orphanage. The place she had found him even as they were adrift in time. She went there now, the ice pumping in her veins and her pounding heart faded as she let her mind imagine the feel of the wind in her hair and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore in the distance. The breeze brought the scent of the flowers to her nose and she could even feel the sun on her face. It made her smile. She pictured it in her mind as clear as crystal. The seemingly endless fields of flowers and beautiful green grasses blowing gently in the breeze. She knew the lighthouse and the ocean were picturesque as well but she never thought of them when she pictured this place. Why turn around when the flowers were beauty enough?

She did however, picture him. Her knight. She opened her eyes and the image held. Her magic and her heart willing her eyes to see what her memory knew was there.

The flowers. The way the sun glinted down through the clouds to bring out the colors as they swayed in the light breeze.

She felt him behind her. His presence was a warmth at her back to chase the last of the chill out from her veins. She dared not move, lest she lose the image, letting her mind drift down the bond between them to summon the feel of her knight wrapping his arms around her waist. The soft musky smell of him mixed with the sweet smell of the flowers.

_Ping!_

The sound of the elevator reaching its requested floor ruined the scene before her, but she let it go. Her mind was calm and her heart no longer felt pumped by ice and doubt. She remembered she was loved.

Rinoa stepped out of the elevator and into what was commonly known as _The Secret Place _though she wasn't sure why since everyone knew where this was…

Her tennis shoes made no noise when she crossed the polished stone floors heading for the entrance out into the main, and original, section of the training center. There were people here already. Lounging in the break area in a momentary reprieve or making last minute preparations before heading down into the lower levels in pairs of two and three. Checking her watch she noticed it was half past five.

_Early SeeD catches the good training time? _She didn't make eye contact, keeping her eyes on the prize. An opening, her quick exit back to the part of garden where her friends were waking to start their days.

All except Squall, who had been absent from the bed when she had woken up that morning. Unfortunately, this one wasn't a surprise. He was always so busy and though she had convinced him she might as well be allowed to "sleep over" in his dorm as she certainly didn't have one of her own and it wasn't like anyone at Garden didn't know who she was. Especially where Squall Leonheart came in. They were an item. The "it" couple. If ever there was an "it" couple where the one hardly spoke to those outside their group and the other was a "scary sorceress".

Rinoa quickly descended down the steps from the secret place and cast another _haste _spell to quickly dash through the original training center, with its simple Grats and grassy dirty industrial meets forest thing. She was getting pretty drained… the last thing she needed was to get caught off guard by a T-Rexaur at the _end _if her morning jog. She slowed down to a normal walking speed once she was through the solid steel doors that kept the wildlife contained and out of the classrooms.

She took a second to dust herself off and straighten her sweaty running clothes before heading out into the bright lights of morning at Garden. She wondered as she walked on if she should head to her dorm she normally shared with Quistis and change before she did anything. A shower after that workout seemed important. A loud rumble from her stomach told her maybe she needed to adjust her priorities.

She sighed to herself as she walked down the familiar unadorned hallway that joined the original training center and its newer "lower levels" to Garden's main bulk and beautiful marble floors, and elaborate fountains. She crossed over the painted marble bridges into Garden's main area. The water sloshing about soothingly below her. Now was not the time to get caught up on other peoples prejudices. Who here would really care if she had frozen monster bits melting in her hair?

She followed the convenient colored arrows in the floors that directed her to the cafeteria, hoping against hope she might pass a mirror on the way, surely it wasn't _that bad._ She ran her fingers through her hair nervously.

In the intervening three years since Ultemecia's defeat, she had spent a significant portion of her time at Garden. She had all her friends here. The commander was her knight. Though he struggled with finding a balance between the two jobs. Both seemed to need more of his time than there were hours in the day.

The line from the cafeteria was already long and she groaned, looking up at the vaulted ceilings. She allowed herself a moment to picture casting a mass stop spell and just bum rushing the counter, but decided against it. Edea would surely scold her for that one, if she found out….

Instead, she decided to occupy her grumbling stomach temporarily with the thoughts of the juicy breakfast burrito she was about to get.

_Mmmm, cheesy, eggy, sausagey, melted goodness… _Her mouth began to water.

She eyed the persons already _in _the line, while trying not to look like that what she was doing. Still after all this time they made her nervous. It wasn't at all because she was hoping to cut in line …_per se… _but to see if maybe she wanted to hang back a second and wait for some-

"Rinoa! Hey girl, over here," she saw Zell waving at her frantically. Still in his pajamas yet he had taken the time to style his hair in its customary front spike thing. She smiled and headed his way. Taking absolutely no time to notice the semi-dark glances she was getting from the few people she was passing. At least Zell wasn't _all the way _in the front. They didn't come out and say anything, however, maybe they didn't want to stand next to her either.

She took a second, just a second, to picture the flowers. Happy Face.

"Morning, Zell!" She chirped as she slid in next to him, smiling apologetically at the girl in pigtails and bunny slippers directly behind them. The girl stuck her tongue out. Rinoa laughed.

"It's burrito day!" Zell notified her, despite the large well lit menu hung above the counter before them. "But we made sure to get here early, so we'll be alright. Man if there is one thing Garden does well, other than their hot dogs, and, you know, the whole mercenary thing-" he waved his hand dismissively, " Breakfast is their _thing!_

Rinoa laughed.

Zell smiled back proudly and they moved an ooch forward in line. Her stomach rumbled. Maybe she should try substituting the zen burrito image with her flower scene for calming herself. She snorted and Zell eyed her suspiciously. Oops. He had been saying something and she was off in lala land…

"I'm sorry, Zell, what was that?" She apologized.

They moved forward again.

"You been down the gauntlet already this morning?" He watched her reaction carefully as they moved another step closer to making that delicious breakfast burrito image in her mind a reality. She could almost take the cheese covered jalapenos they sometimes put in there if you asked _real _nice…

"Don't space out on me, Rin. I can tell, you know." He gestured to her hair. "You have these odd frosty bits in your hair… yet you're already all sweaty." He grinned at her before attempting to deadpan his follow up, "There aren't many things that can get you all sweaty and covered in snow this early in the morning and I happen to know for a fact that Squall is already in the office sooo…" He arched an eyebrow at her.

Rinoa blushed a deep crimson and considered hitting him with a silence spell before he could finish that statement. He wisely left it at that. She went back to brushing her fingers frantically through her hair so she didn't _look _like she had been in the tunnels this morning.

Luckily, before she could dredge up a suitable sarcastic comeback, they reached their destination at the front of the line.

The tired looking woman didn't even crack a smile when Rinoa mustered her sweetest voice and asked for jalapenos on her burrito. She did put some on there though. Rinoa thanked her and slid her ID card to pay.

She may not be a student, but Squall had made sure they got her an ID card so that she could get whatever she needed and to wherever she needed to go when she wasn't actually with one of them. Cid had begrudgingly agreed, and had even set her up with a little account connected to her ID like every student here. Only since she did not have a Rank and paycheck coming in, Squall had insisted her ID be connected to his account so she wouldn't have to go without. She had originally bristled at the thought. She was perfectly capable of feeding herself… but one time caught in the tunnels without any back up and a close call with a tough monster had landed her in the infirmary. It wasn't terribly serious. She had just ran herself too hard and drained her magic, and thusly herself, completely dry. She made it to the safety of one of the training center's rest areas but with no way to get any potions or sustenance from those helpful little machines it had ended up being a close thing. She slept for the next day and a half while Squall worried and had flash backs of her in a coma.

After having him climbing the walls in her infirmary, Dr. Kadawoki had come up with the idea and insisted to Cid that it would be a good one. It wasn't as if she could use the ID card anywhere outside of garden, or that she would do such a thing behind Squall's back in any case.

They walked together over to a table a little away from the main congregation of SeeDs and students and everyone else as the cafeteria had begun to fill in earnest. Zell continued with mindless small talk as Rinoa daydreamed about her and Squall's upcoming weekend getaway. She knew that many cities had been building up their beautiful scenic areas for ritzy condos and hotel resorts in an effort to boost tourism. Some of them had become very popular. She was deep in a fantasy involving one of these resorts and a mud bath and facial when she realized Zell was asking her a question.

"Hmm?" She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Zell, I must not be really awake yet."

"I said, How are you doing? Turn anyone into a toad lately?" Zell, unlike most of the Garden's populace, loved to hear all about her magical affliction. She wondered if he would like to see her on a bad day in the tunnels? Her powers had not gotten weaker over time, after all. She once had argued with Edea that she wasn't going to use her powers any more. That she was going to just act normal and live life like a regular human girl. It had lasted almost a month, She had actually thought it was going to work. She ignored Edea's warnings, and sure enough during an argument with her father at his mansion in Deling City, she had accidentally shattered all the windows in his study and turned his beautiful mahogany desk into a raging inferno of paperwork. They hadn't really spoken much since then. Her father, ironically, was one of those people who wanted her to pretend to be normal.

After that she had taken to Edea's teachings and lessons like a chocobo to a forest. Her powers had grown, but so had her confidence in herself. She no longer felt left behind among her friends in SeeD. She could more than hold her own. And, in fact, she had been talking about getting in a few days of meditation and lessons with her teacher would be a good way to pass the time while she waited for her anniversary getaway with her knight. A very much needed getaway, indeed. For both of them. Squall had been stressed to the max lately. Working long hours and it seemed the list of things to be handled by the commander was endless.

She opted to tell him that she was planning to have a fun relaxing few days filled with toasting monster ass like marshmallows with Edea. _Telling him I'm probably going to be meditating just won't put that same excited twinkle in his eye. _

He cackled maniacally and took another behemoth bite of his burrito.

"Nah, I'm in need of some deep meditation before this weekend at the resort. I'd sure hate to shock some poor shmuck on the beach by doing something all sorceress-y like get pissed at the poor room service and cause a tsunami." She chuckled at the thought. "Though Leviathan would approve."

"Oh that's this weekend, already?" He said sarcastically. She had been excited about this trip since they booked it months ago. Woe be to whatever superior tried to make him stay in the office this weekend.

She nodded. "Yes, Zell, we are staying at the Elysium Resort on the Lallapalazo Islands. This time Saturday morning I will be taking a mud bath and getting all the best spa treatments." She smiled dreamily, clearly picturing it.

"Isn't that the place that got famous for being haunted and where the guy brought his wife and kid there and he ended up loosing his mind and trying to kill them because the hotel was evil?"

Rinoa blinked at him before bursting out into laughter. Zell scratched his head, not sure what she was laughing at since he was terribly serious. He decided to move on to the other part of her statement. The one concerning the spa treatment/pampering preceding days at the orphanage. "You don't need to do any training. Since we offed Ultemecia that makes you the most powerful sorceress alive!" He flexed his muscles for emphasis as if that was where her magic muscles were too.

She started to make another sarcastic remark but then a thought struck her. Were there any other sorceress even out there? Was she the only one other than Edea? And of course the Matron had passed her powers on so she didn't count anymore. Most of the sorceresses she knew of had done terrible things. As, of course, power corrupts. There were always ways to stand against the madness. Like Rinoa, they could be tethered to a knight, and have a circle of friends to keep her mind and heart centered in the light. Surely she could not be the only one left. That was such a strange thought. Could there be others in hiding? Other women like her who tried to live life in a prejudiced world? She started to open her mouth to voice her hypothesis to Zell, but before she could Quistis joined them at the table.

She smiled at them both and everyone exchanged their good mornings. Quistis looked stunning as usual and she was wearing her full SeeD uniform. Sharing a dorm with Quistis, even part time since Rinoa wasn't _always _at Garden had been amazing. She loved the way the woman let her hair down when it was just the two of them. They had many a night staying up chomping popcorn and watching bad late night horror movies. Not to mention she always kept the place tidy and she had a secret fondness for lemon scented air fresheners and candles. Selphie was there with them some times too, and those were the best nights. Whoever said you grow out of having sleepovers was ridiculous.

But Selphie had sort of her own thing going on with Irvine. Despite his flirty manner, that cowboy was completely enamored with her. Quistis and Rinoa had already placed bets on when their wedding would be. Rinoa also noticed Quistis had only a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Oh, I've already had breakfast," the blond said, noting her friends gaze. "I have my first class right after breakfast." She took a sip of her coffee and smiled, proudly. And indeed, she was once again the youngest Instructor in the history of Garden. The had initially dismissed her due to a lack of control over an unruly student. Though after her part in saving the world they seemed to have changed their tunes. Teaching brought her great joy, even when she was dealing with those few students who seemed to be in love with her. "I've also come to tell you Cid wants to see us in his office after the last bell this afternoon."

Zell arched his eyebrow at her, waiting for more.

"He was a little vague on the details, he just requested our presence," She brushed a hand down the front of her perfectly pressed SeeD uniform before changing the subject. "Did you hear the rumors of that archaeological dig site at the Centra Ruins?"

"Sure, I heard some privately funded group has been down there over a month now searching the ruins," Know-it-all Zell offered typically, accepting the change in the direction of the conversation. This time with a mouth full of burrito. "The real kicker is no one knows why, or what they're looking for. They don't do interviews either."

Rinoa was simultaneously disgusted and strangely fascinated. _How does he enunciate with that much food in his mouth? _If she tried to do that she would have sprayed cheesy eggs all over her friends.

She looked at Quistis who shrugged and opted to just ignore it and continue. "Um, yes, precisely." The blond said.

Rinoa eyed her plate, intrigued. Everyone knew the Centra Ruins was a site infested with dangerous monsters, and that anything of historical significance had long since been cataloged, studied or removed and whatever else in the last hundred years since the fall of their civilization.

"What do you think they are looking for?" Rinoa asked, curiously.

"Hyne only knows, but I suppose they aren't doing any harm, so far as anyone can tell." Quistis shrugged and sipped her coffee.

Rinoa smiled and nodded, then it hit her, "Wait! Squall was supposed to be free this weekend! We had plans…" She looked at the floor. Of course this was going to happen. This always happened. The Very stars and planets aligned to counter her happiness. Her eyes began to burn and she felt her lip quiver. _Dammit! I will not cry. _

Quistis' eyes softened, even before a tear could fall she knew her friend was hurting. "Don't worry, Rin. Nothing is concrete yet. Not to mention we are just meeting with them to see what they want us to do. Even if we decide to take the mission, which is highly possible considering Squall's relationship to Esthar's president, Squall personally probably wont be on this mission. As acting commander he just gets to choose who _does _do it. See?"

Rinoa wiped at her eyes, ashamed at her reaction. Of course, he would delegate this one. He knew how important this was to her. How they had planned it months in advance to book the resort and for him to make sure no one dare ask him to work that weekend. Hell, she had even arranged for Angelo to stay at the orphanage with Edea while she was gone. That way the dog would be cared for and have more room to frolic than she would if kept here at Garden.

She had just panicked, old habits die hard, after all. This wouldn't be the first time they had to cancel something.

Rinoa followed the SeeDs out of the cafeteria until they parted ways so she could head to her dorm to shower. Quistis promised the sorceress she would be there to see her off before she left Garden.

Rinoa hitched her bag more comfortably on her shoulder and shielded her eyes against the glare of the setting sun off of the oceans waves as the was lowered. Sure she could have flown down with her magic, she could have flown here from the Gotland Peninsula where Garden had been anchored last night. She humored them however and waited.

Quistis hugged her and patted Angelo on the head. Selphie did the same, and even Zell had turned up to see the sorceress off. Rinoa smiled and told all her friends to be careful on the mission. It was a little strange not having any idea what they were really walking in to. She trusted their judgment, however, and Squall's, though she sometimes worried about Cid. He sometimes failed to stand up for what was right when faced with adversity. Pressure from on high was always his downfall and he tended to run when things got rough. He had a big heart, though, and she knew that.

She was stalling. Rinoa stubbed the toe of her shoe against the metal floor of the lowered ramp. She sighed, starting to think he wouldn't be there to say 'Goodbye."

Just then, she saw him and her whole world felt right. He had eyed only for her as he pulled her into a tight embrace, before taking her back in one hand and with his other he took her hand and laced their fingers.

The bond had gotten stronger between them over time, and while he still wasn't very good at expressing his feelings, he had gotten the hang of expressing himself to her in other ways. Namely physical ones. The thought made Rinoa blush.

Squall arched an eyebrow at her before turning to their friends, "I'm walking her over." He gave a loose salute and led her down the ramp and up the hill to Edea's Orphanage.

After the downfall of Ultemecia, Cid and Edea had renovated to Orphanage. Returning it to its former glory, The Beautiful architecture of the ancient building returned to its glossy finish. The white stone columns were all standing and all the walls and roofing were as good as new. The inside was more beautiful than it had been in the last hundred years since the downfall of the Centra people and the lunar cry that devastated this entire continent.

Rinoa knocked once of the polished heavy oak doors before letting herself inside. She walked across the new marble floors Edea had picked out to compliment the natural design of the building. She couldn't count the number of hours she had spent with Edea looking at samples of fabric for curtains and furniture and pictures of rugs and paintings out of magazines. But it had made the old sorceress happy and given her something to focus her own energy on. She deserved it. And now the place was something she could be truly proud of. She secretly hoped to one day pass the old place on to one of her children. She never had any kids of her own, but yet they were all hers in their own way. Their children would be her grandchildren.

Matron came out of the back somewhere to greet Rinoa warmly with a kiss to each cheek. Squall she gave a long hug before pulling him back to look him over with a practiced eye.

"You need to eat more. And work less. You are wearing thin, Squall Leonheart." She gestured for him to take Rinoa's bags back to her usual room. After she was settled, the couple had let Angelo out to romp in the flowers, Squall and Rinoa following behind sedately.

"Rinoa, this mission," He began. She stumbled for the words he wanted. "If I can delegate this I will, know that." He finally said.

Rinoa wanted to shout. _If? What the hell does he mean, 'If'? _The wind picked up a notch as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why would you not? Why would you need to handle this personally?" She tried to keep her voice steady, but it cracked slightly on the last word.

Squall sighed and brushed her hair out of her dangerously flashing eyes. He was undaunted by the storm raging just under the surface of her calm exterior. Though through the bond they shared, he could sense it.

He pulled her into his arms. She wanted to resist, to be strong until she had the answer from him she needed, but she had always been helpless against him. It was a tactic he had exploited as soon as he discovered it. He always said a SeeD always understood his targets weakness. . He whispered the next in her ears, "You're right. I am just worried because I don't know what we are walking in to. And Cid is ready to sit up and beg for the check they are planning to write us for this one."

Rinoa swallowed and remained silent. No need to stop him while he was on a roll. He wasn't always so verbose. This was practically a speech from him, and she didn't want her own opinions to ruin it.

He tilted her chin up until he could capture her lips with his. The kissed with all the heat of their young love. He trailed his fingers up and down her arms teasingly trying to calm her. She gazed over his shoulder at the setting sun, trying to calm her anger. Where does one go to find their center when they are already standing in their happy place?

Thank you for reading! I am very excited about this story, i can't even say it! GAH! Anyway, without further ado- REVIEW! I've already written the next two chapters and i'll go ahead and post them as soon as my beta has a chance to go over them.

-Lupa


	2. Chapter 2

WELCOME BACK! I am so excited to be posting chapter two! I am really looking forward to hearing what you readers think! Remember, I OWN NOTHING YOU RECOGNIZE! And in this chapter, there may be much that you recognize... ^_^ Read on, and stop in for the Author's Note at the END of the chapter!

Chapter Two:

Rinoa walked back inside the stone house she spent the other half of her time in. It had changed much since the sorceress' possession by Ultemecia several years ago. Edea harbored no ill will towards the SeeDs for fighting her, of course, she expected nothing less. Even so, there was no way they were going to stand idly by while Edea chose to remain in that old museum of a house while it crumbled to rubble around her. So a team of workers were hired from FH and along with decorative influence from Edea herself (with ever helpful Selphie and Rinoa in tow) they remodeled the house. Now the place felt like a palace of marble columns and floors lined with plush curtains in jade green and chocolate brown rugs. Along with Edea's personal bedroom suite there were a set of comfortable guest rooms and a vast and highly eclectic library. You wouldn't have ever guessed this place was an orphanage, at least not from the entry way.

Rinoa could hear her mentor, the sorceress Edea puttering around in the kitchen. Her own mother, Julia, had died when Rinoa was very young and her father had never been one to bring a bunch of strange women to their home to play mommy. The general had hired a sweet old prune of a woman to be her nanny and to see to the cleaning as well as making sure Rinoa kept up with her schooling. Maude was her name, she was always talking about the "young whippersnappers" and jabbing her cane accusatorily at young Rinoa, but never struck her in anger and would often stand up for her if her father pushed her or came down too hard. But since Rinoa had run out on her life in Deling City to join the Forest Owls (and later Squall and the others), Edea had far surpassed any other motherly figure in her memory. Of course, becoming a sorceress kind of changed everything.

Rinoa pushed the thought to the back of her mind and smiled at the dark haired woman in the kitchen. They hugged briefly and Rinoa offered to help with dinner. They worked together companionably and Edea lightly asked Rinoa how she had been doing; if she had experienced any issues or outbursts. Rinoa answered her truthfully. Telling her teacher about the mornings she woke up tense with built up energy. About how she would spend more and more time in the training center, controlling the monster population.

Edea nodded in understanding as they sat down to a quiet dinner. "Do not let this worry you, your powers are great, you are a true daughter of Hyne. You must remember that your true power comes from your heart. As long as you stay true to yourself and keep your heart in the light, you will remain in control. The power must never be given control or you may lose yourself to it." The sorceresses eyes flashed dangerously.

Rinoa remembered when she had first met the sorceress, when she was possessed by Ultemecia whose dark power had taken Edea- heart and mind- and used her to do her evil bidding. Rinoa shuddered. She didn't ever want think about what she would be capable of if she fell to darkness.

Later, with a full belly and after a long hot soak in a bubble bath, Rinoa settled into the warm blankets on her bed at the orphanage, snuggling against the soft pillows. She reached her hand to rub the spot between Angelo's ears to say goodnight, and pulled the covers up to her chin. As she felt herself fully relax she let her mind drift down the link between her and Squall. She felt him brush familiarly against her mind and his love warmed her down to her toes. He may not be very eloquent with his words, but his heart was easy to read. She felt a twinge of annoyance from him and saw a flash of memory from him. A group of familiar faces in Cid's office, and a taste of distress in the air. She stilled in her bed and sent a questioning response to him. It wasn't exactly like telepathy, he couldn't speak words into her mind, but they could share their emotions and even memories through the magical link between them as sorceress and knight.

Instead of any attempt to explain, however, he answered by picturing the two of them as they were in the flower field today as he kissed her goodbye. She smiled to herself, allowing the not so subtle subject change altogether. Using her magic, like flexing a finger, she submersed herself and her knight in the memory. Their bond was strong and for a moment it felt as if they were actually together. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately.

"_I love you, Rinoa" _she felt it rather than heard it, like a promise in her mind, and the link between them faded. She sighed happily and sent back _I love you too. _She could almost feel his lips on hers, and his hands on her cheek. She closed her eyes and nestled in to sleep, the smell of flowers drifting in soothingly through her open window.

0*0

Squall turns to his back to stare at the ceiling as the last warm feelings of love drift to him from their bond on an imagined breeze scented with wildflowers. He puts his arms behind his head and thinks back on his meeting today with Cid. He had showed Rinoa a glimpse of it so she would understand a little of where his irritation had come from. That was one of his favorite things about their Sorceress/Knight bond. He could express himself to her without fear of trying to find the right words and without fumbling about like his father. No fear of sudden leg cramps either.

He had stood at a relaxed attention in a line in front of Cid's desk with three of his fellow SeeDs. Quistis, Zell, and Selphie. Irvine was there as well, leaning against a wall as if he was not here on a superiors' order, but instead having a bit of leisure time. .

Squall listened as the headmaster went over a wide array of updates on current political events involving the Garden as well as the rumors of the mysterious archaeological dig going on in the ruins of Centra. Cid said how it had piqued his curiosity, especially since they were so close to the site itself, but then he seemed to slip into the real reason he had summoned them all here.

"As you all may know, Xu and President Laguna have been working together with many other officials and politicians from around the world to bring about an unprecedented time of peace. Now that Timber is liberated from Galbadia, they and most every province around the world is unanimous in that they want to be able to trust that their neighbor is going to one day just decide they are going to come in and take over.

After a surprisingly quick and painless series of elections two senators from each province have been chosen to represent their respective cities. And, as you also know, Xu and Laguna have gotten together with those elected officials from each major city around the world to create the World Allied Nations. Do you know to what the purpose of all this pomp and circumstance is?" Cid looked pointedly to his students; ever the teacher.

Quistis spoke first, "The main purpose of the World Alliance is to band us all together under a banner of peace so that we may all help each other to stand against any one nation rising up in tyranny against another weaker neighbor." She spoke proudly and surely, as if quoting from one of her textbooks, even though world politics was not on her particular class curriculum. Of course, they all knew this already. The World Allied Nations was a plan put in motion for the last two years. Elections all over the world first, and now they were all finally coming together. Under a banner of peace. Everyone was hoping for an unprecedented time without war.

Squall remained silent as Cid continued. He of course, had doubted that it would work. There wasn't anything that every nation in the world could actually agree upon. How would they ever forge such a fanciful alliance? Yet it had been done. Laguna wanted to pull his country out of the veil they hid themselves behind and share its richness and scientific advancements with the rest of the world. Indeed, many of the worlds nations, such as Timber and Dollet remembered fiercely the forced occupation by Galbadian troops and how they had almost no one to call on for help. Timber, like many small cities around the world, did not have an acting militia of their own with which to defend themselves.

And then of course there were those at the other end of the monetary spectrum like Esthar and Galbadia. Whose advancements in technology and medicines needed to be shared.

And so it appeared that Laguna's fantastical dream of world peace and Xu's tenacity for writing compelling speeches and gift for political maneuvering as well as their mutual desire to end a time of humans against humans had led the worlds populace to the place they now stood. On the bring of actually attaining world peace.

Squall tended to wonder about job security at times like this. What place did a giant floating school designed for training battle hardened mercenaries have in a world at peace? Cid's voice brought him back to the meeting at hand.

"The World Alliance is having their first official gathering in Deling City and Garden has been asked to supply a small security garrison to make sure nothing goes amiss." Cid looked at each of them pointedly. "You are all aware that not everyone believes that peace is as profitable as times of war. There will always be those who vie for chaos, and who seek to forever cast us away from the light."

Squall is a little surprised at the old headmaster's words. They are unusually somber. He doesn't elaborate on any specific suspicions, however, only lines out the team Squall is to be leading and the promise of a long and tiring week ahead of him. The SeeDs all salute the Headmaster respectfully before filing out of the office. The commander was actually expecting something along these lines. The World Alliance had been all over the news for most of the last two and a half years as the various countries voted for and elected their two officials to represent them on the World Council. No longer would one small city have to fear the large glittering unknown xenophobic country across the vast ocean, they would be able to work together to provide a brighter future for the world.

The sentiment almost made him queasy. It felt like a dream. Something like world peace was unattainable, for humanity would always tend toward the darkness. Perhaps that was his own cynicism talking but Squall was deeply afraid he was right on this one. Someone obviously agreed with him, or else the SeeDs themselves would not be planning this mission to oversee the Council's first official meeting.

Squall settled deeper in his bed and tried to push those thought from his mind. He wanted to reach for Rinoa down the link they shared again, but he could already feel that she was asleep and did not want to wake her. The uneasiness in his heart would not be missed by her. It surprised him just how worried he was.

He was still puzzling over it as he drifted off into a fitfull slumber.

_She was standing on a cliff overlooking a vast plain. She could see smoke rising from a city in the distance, but she couldn't tell what city. She vaguely recognized the skyline, the twinkling of the suns rays off the ocean behind the city in flames. She wanted to spread her wings. To fly over to the burning city , too use her magic to douse the flames and save the city. She wanted… _

_But she was rooted to the spot! She could not raise so much as a finger to cast any spells in her arsenal. She was stopped totally and immovably in her tracks as she watched the smoke spread and engulf the entire city. _

_Then there was a flash- and the scene changed. A new city, this one also large and familiar. She recognized the landscape of the frozen Trabia continent, but not the city itself… and it was burning too. Then a flash, another city, more flames. It seemes as if the entire world is being bathed in fire. The heat was immense and terrible and made it hard to breathe. The sweat trickled down from her brow and into her eyes to mix with her tears of despair at all the destruction laid out before her..._

Rinoa woke with a start. She was drenched in sweat and shaking, her heart pounding in unmistakable fear. She tried to remember the details of her dream, what it was that had caused this adrenaline rush reaction in her, but even as she tried the images from her dream faded to dust and fell through her fingers. She wiped the sweat from her brow and kicked the blankest off her sweating body. Sitting up she swung her feet over the edge of the bed to the cool marble floors. For a moment she toyed with the idea of shucking her nightie and laying her naked body against that cool floor. It wasn't nearly hot enough in the cool morning breeze for her to be sweating like this. But instead of indulging in laying on the cool floors, she opted to open the window. And maybe turn on the ceiling fan and coat its blades with ice, just for good measure. She lifted open the window and sighed contentedly at the cool pre-dawn breeze coming off the ocean. She turned her back to the window and lifted her hair so her neck could catch some of the breeze. She looked longingly at her comfy bed and where Angelo lay still kicking his feet softly at a dream of his own. That thought prompted her to go ahead and start her day. Something naggling at the back of her mind just did not want to go back to sleep. Even though as thoughts of coffee and a sunrise had her pulling on a simple pair of shorts and a tee shirt had her forgetting all about the nightmare that had chased her from sleep in the first place.

It was also the first morning in almost two weeks that she had not woken like a rubber band pulled way too taunt. She almost felt zen. Maybe it was the scent of the flowers, or something about this place altogether.

Downstairs, Edea was already awake and in the kitchen making coffee. The smell was invigorating, and as the two added their creams and sugars and headed out to the first floor patio, on the ocean side. The one with the winding staircase to the side that lead down to the beach. The two women sat down in companionable silence to watch as the sun rose slowly above the horizon to glitter beautifully and explode into a brilliant multitude of color against the ocean waves.

Rinoa was loath to break the spell the moment had on them both, but there was a question that had been lurking in the back of her mind since breakfast yesterday at Garden, "Are there other sorceresses alive right now? In this time?" It was a terribly lonely thought, to Rinoa, to be the last sorceress alive anywhere in the world.

Edea kept her gaze on the glittering sunrise for a long time before putting down her cup and turning to Rinoa to answer. "I honestly do not know," she said. "I am sure that if there were any more out there like Adel and Ultemecia, they would have made their presence known. But as to if there are any other women out there like Ellone or the two of us? I cannot say. Though I bet they would keep the information to themselves."

Rinoa took a long sip from her coffee as she pondered this. Of course that would make sense. Why would they want to broadcast their abilities to the world? Rinoa blushed slightly. _Everyone _knew that Rinoa was a sorceress. And thusly she was always facing a certain level of animosity and ignorance induced prejudice. It seemed like a constant tug of war between the light and dark facets of Rinoa's heart.

"Do you remember the story of where sorceress's got their powers?" Edea asked. Rinoa had, of course, and several times. But she liked the story, for many reasons, so she let her mentor continue. "Long ago, when the world was still covered in night and the light had not yet come, there was a being called Hyne. From this darkness Hyne created the world, and battled many beasts from the darkness with his magic. Using this magic, he was able to win those battles and became the ruler of this world."

Rinoa settled in to hear the story, she closed her eyes as the older sorceress talked, letting her voice wash over her to paint the pictures in her mind.

"Hyne seated himself upon his throne, from where he thought he could see all around. However, from his throne he could not see the eastern sea because of a mountain range. Because of his many battles Hyne had become too tired to destroy the mountain and needed to create a self sufficient and self replicating tool to do his bidding. Thus he created human beings..." After all those years as the Matron of an orphanage, Edea truly had a great story telling voice, Rinoa mused. She leaned back in her chair and let the cedence of the elder sorceress' voice and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach below sooth her worries away.

"… The human beings increased their numbers while carving up the mountain. When their work was finished they asked Hyne what they should do next. He was asleep however due to his fatigue. So the human beings went on making changes to the world at their own discretion. And they continued to multiply… "

Rinoa pictured the scene: A young world with budding villages and temples and who knew what else built by these early humans to please their God.

Edea continued, "When Hyne awoke, the appearance of the area had completely changed. He was most startled, though, by the exponential growth of the population. Hyne decided to reduce their numbers and used his magic to destroy the 'smaller' humans. These were the children and they were of course very important to the humans. They wept intensely and protested angrily to Hyne."

Rinoa watched the sadness fall across the older sorceress' face, neither of them really liked this part of the story, but it was the turning point in the legend of their history. Tragic or not.

"Hyne told them that they were his tools. Of course these cold cruel words angered the humans and they rose up in rebellion against Him. Hyne retaliated with his magic and many, many human lives were lost. In the end, however, their superior numbers ended with Hyne besieged. Hyne bargained with his creations. He offered them half of his own body and power. At the idea of having even half of Hyne's power for themselves the humans agreed to the deal. Hyne split his body in half and gave it to the humans. With this act, a peace was drawn between Hyne and the humans. However, the humans began to quarrel amongst themselves, coming together in groups that wanted the power of Hyne for themselves.

A war ensued, long and hard and eventually won by the dark king Zebalga. Within a forest, finally he had the half of Hyne's body for himself and his three sons. But try as they might they could not make the power within the body respond to them. The dark king Zebalga summoned the wise sage Vascaroon who came to consult with Zebalga and his three sons. He knew the answer to this riddle, Hyne had given them a corrupted part of his body. It was nothing more than Hyne's cast off skin!"

Rinoa shuddered at this part of the story. Truly baffled by ancient men's stupidity and gullibility and the craftiness of a God.

"When the king and his sons heard this explanation, they were furious! They vowed to destroy Hyne and they split the skin into four parts and they each took a piece back to their province of the world to search for the treacherous Hyne. However whatever was left of Hyne was nowhere to be found. His remaining power concealed itself in bodies, in the form of women, a handful of those women who had caught the eye of the god. Those women became sorceresses, each contained a piece of Hyne's power. And they would forever pass their gift along to other women like themselves throughout time. Forever assuring that his power would never die out…"

As Edea concluded her story, both sorceresses sat in contemplative silence with their empty coffee mugs and watched till the sun lifted clear of the watery horizon. Edea rose first, "Come, that's enough History for today. Let's get to work."

With that the two women rose from their porch chairs and descended the winding staircase to the beach.

*0*0*

Squall zipped up the jacket on his SeeD uniform. His mission was to lead a squad of less than ten SeeDs in guarding the delegates of the first meeting of the World Allied Nations. These pompous soon to be world leaders were to gather at the unveiling of the brand new World Nation building on the mostly empty Centra continent. Since it was the only continent without a nation or delegates, it was considered the perfect neutral place to make into the headquarters of the World's new Alliance. However it is hardly the importance of this mission that is the source of Squall's unusual case of the jitters.

Zell clapped his commander on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up before they stepped through the door into the debriefing room where he would be giving the orders to his team. This was supposed to be a relatively quiet mission. No outright threats had been made. The building had already been searched from top to bottom and everything was currently all clear.

Squall opened the door and walked into the room where his team was waiting. He explained to them what was to be expected. Showed them on a map of the compound that had been broken into sectors. There would be four teams of two as well as Squall and Zell who would be the "Alpha Team" and everyone had a designated section to watch and a set of delegates for whom they were responsible. This was an unprecedented and widely publicized gathering of politicians intending to unite all previously warring nations under a single banner of peace. Squall tried not to let any of his personal feelings on the matter come through. Nor did he mention to them his concerns about job security. After all, these politicians still needed their asses guarded. And though they would probably always need said asses guarded, the thought of a life for _this _SeeD filled with monotonous guard duty was extremely depressing.

The teams separated and went to their designated areas while Squall and Zell went back out front to preside over the unveiling of the big shiny new building.

Though he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, a significant amount of his nerves were due to the unavoidable likelyhood that he was bound to run into his father. Then he would be required to converse with the man. And while Squall did not at all directly dislike the man, there was a certain amount of unexplainable distance between them that they had yet to bridge. Laguna, for his part, was as proud of his son's accomplishments as any father could be and was content to let his son come to him in his own time.

The afternoon sky was a brilliant clear blue as Laguna took the center stage set up in front of the cameras and reporters broadcasting this moment in history to homes all across the world. As the President of Esthar stepped up to the mike, Squall had a brief thought flash through his mind that he hoped Xu or even Kiros had been the one to write the speech the President was about to give… he had to suppress a groan at the image his mind concocted.

But Laguna has a passion that always seems to come through, no matter how uncouth the delivery. Luckily for everyone this was one of the times where everything goes according to plans. After Laguna came Xu as well as a member from the Shumi tribe and by the time the ribbon was cut and the reporters allowed to enter everyone was overflowing with excitement.

By lunchtime however, Squall found himself uncharacteristically bored. The delegates continued to droll on. The spouted plans and ideas for spreading the many countries wealth. They talked and talked. They planned and proposed ideas and set up ordinances. He could tell by the look in Zell's eyes that he wasn't the only one going a little brain dead from all of the political jibber jabber.

"Jeez, man, if I have to endure a whole week of this I think I might just have to go all kamikaze on something just for a bit of excitement." The martial artist joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Honestly Squall wanted to laugh at that. The idea had actually almost made the gun blade master _giggle_.

That was a scary thought.

Squall instead ignored the martial artists comment altogether and headed for the buildings central courtyard for some fresh air and a break from all the monotony before they reconvened for another marathon of delegation.

*0*0*

Rinoa faced the ocean, her eyes focused on the waves as she stretched and flexed that magical muscle in her minds' eye. She had already called down a bolt of lightening to light the bonfire raging behind her. Her next task was to call the waves forward to quench the flames. She clenched her fist as if grasping the waves themselves, and then lifted them above her head and spun lightly on her heel and envisioned the water lifting in an arc guided by her hands and mind and brought it splashing down in a spurt of hissing steam and just like that the bonfire was swept back out to sea.

There were a plethora of exercises the sorceress had used to train her young apprentice. The two sorceress' would dance back and forth juggling rings of fire or water or even lightning between them to see who would loose their concentration first and drop their rings. The more elements you could hold simultaneously and keep them spinning. All manner of elemental manipulation imaginable. There were also these long metal poles sticking up out of the sand to use as targets for her lightning. In the beginning, Rinoa remembered being seventeen and standing with Edea on the beach in the rain, it was only a few months after the downfall of sorceress Ultemecia… she had been feeling a little lost and overwhelmed and had sought solace in her fellow sorceress.

_The sorceress had explained how her magic now came from within and that her heart and her will now gave her power limited only by her imagination and her stamina. Then the sorceress had pointed to the dark clouds above them heavy with rain and with a sharp gesture from those clouds to the earth, seemed to pull a bolt of lightning down from the heavens to strike a slender metal pole. Then Edea had led her new apprentice to where the pole sat jutting out of the sand. The older woman waved her hand and the pole lifted out of the ground and the sands shook aside to reveal a sparkling crystalline object which was brought to rest in Rinoa's waiting hands. _

"_It's beautiful," the young woman said, running her fingers along the surprisingly warm surface. _

"_The lightning strikes the metal pole and goes into the sand where it diffuses and superheats the sand making glass and forming these beautiful glittering sculptures." Edea placed her hands over Rinoa's on the smooth warm glass. "Let this always be a reminder to you that your magic can be used to create things that are beautiful. There is no reason for it to be dark and terrible. It is about what is in your heart." _

Rinoa brought herself back to the present and the rapidly cooling bonfire. The elder sorceress was standing before her. The young woman pressed her hand against her heart in reminder and vowed to always stand in the light. She would always use her magic as an instrument of beauty and never use it to harm.

Except in the case of a few errant monsters of course, because, hey. That was a beautiful thing, too.

**A/N:** Hallo! Thank you for reading Chapter Two! If there is anyone out there? Whatever! I took the story of Hyne that Edea told in this chapter from The Final Fantasy Compendium, as well as the final scene of this chapter with the lightning/sand sculptures came from the movie "Sweet Home Alabama". As i said, i own nothing _you recognize. _;)

Anyway, chapter three will be coming soon! There will be some very exciting things happening in the upcoming chapters, so i hope everyone is enjoying this story! I also must apologize for any mistakes, as my Beta has recently gotten a very busy schedule, and i was too impatient to get this up to wait fot her to read it... so please feel free to point anything out to me. I will take no offense.

Lastly, I would highly appriciate REVIEWS! Let me know what you think! It will inspire me to write like nothing else!

LOVE!

-Lupa


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